The Epiphany Of The Elms
by XxMoonlitShadowxX
Summary: This story is a rather dark story that is a take on the marriage law type of fanfic along with aspects of identifying soulmates and soulmate traits. I will warn you it is dark to start off with, but will get lighter as time goes on just as the characters in the story will begin to heal over time. This is a somewhat realistic sense of the aftermath of war and love.
1. Chapter 1

The Epiphany Of The Elms Chapter 1

 **Prologue**

 ** _The moon rose high in the sky that night as the last of the flames from the battle died down. It was then eerily quiet except for the sobs of those who had lost and the moans of those were about to lose. The stench of blood and death sat heavy in the air as they looked around and took in the grim sights before them. Hermione and Ron had found Harry and Ginny with Ron's mother who was sobbing heavily over her husband's dead body. Her son's Percy and Fred lay beside him, just as cold and as lifeless as their father. Many others lay about in the grassy field as the last of the embers burned out for good. Never again would there be such agony in this world for the three children who had become adults far too quickly. Harry held Ginny who held tightly to her mother's shoulder's as Ron stood stoically behind them. A lone tear fell from his blue eyes as his hands began to shake with unease. Hermione's eyes fell to his calloused and bloodied hand before she took a deep breath and grasped it in her own. Her friend jumped at the contact, but managed to give her the saddest smile she had ever seen. It was over. The war had been won. But at what cost? The lives of those who had been lost were too great a loss for them to even fathom on how they would continue on. But there they stood. In the middle of the moonlight with a small, but subtle spark of a hope that had been lost but would soon be found. The time had come for joy to reach the world once again._**

 **End Of Prologue**

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It was a dark and cloudy day as Hermione stood with Ron's hand still clutched tightly in her own as they watched his father and his brother's bodies being lowered down into makeshift graves. The funeral preparations had been rushed. Nothing had been concrete. But one thing was for certain. Hermione's heart had died along with those she had lost on that battle field and she truly thought that it may never awaken once again. The life that once filled her veins had seeped out along with the warmth of her body as she stood shivering and wrapped in Molly's grandmother's old wool shawl. Ron's hand tightly gripped her own as he let out another sharp breath, before taking another deep one and regaining his stony façade. It had only been six hours since the setting sun had washed over the smoky battle field's horizon and for them to be able to witness for the first time in their lives, exactly what the true price of war was. Seeing the bodies of their friends, relatives, other students laying strewn about the field and all over the crumbled remains of the once great castle made Hermione's stomach churn with a sickness that she knew would take months, even years to quell.

Ron and her had been each other's rocks throughout this difficult time and she had been pleasantly surprised at his willingness to comfort her even though she knew all too well that it was he who needed the comfort the most. He had already lost his father and two of his brothers. His mother was left a widow and he and his other siblings had lost one of their best friends. His heart clenched hard in his chest as he looked over at George who gripped his mother's shoulders tightly as he stood next to the dead family member's caskets. Charlie and Bill stood next to them as if attempting to guard them from the onlookers who watched their reactions carefully as the two caskets were lowered down onto the bottom of the grave. The Weasley men would be buried in a mass grave that had been created for the dead after the battle that had only ended hours before. There was little any of them could do in terms of a service or any type of acknowledgement for the ones who had died seeing as how it was almost as if the living had died along with them.

Ron gave Hermione's hand a tentative squeeze and hoped to Merlin that she could feel some of the thankfulness that he felt towards the curly haired witch who now leaned into his shoulder. Glancing up from the graves, his eyes raised towards the remnants of the battle field where buildings and the forest that lay around them were burnt almost to a crisp and the wind that rushed through their entire beings blustered about almost as if to say, "peace has come." It was the end of a long and hard war and the few remaining death eaters that had managed to not have been executed after the battle were currently in Azkaban awaiting their death sentences. Ron glanced over to the small flash of platinum blonde hair that he could see out of the corner of his eye. Draco Malfoy and his mother stood silently away from the crowd but near enough to hear the sobs of Molly as they clutched tightly to each other in a small act of comfort knowing all too well the loss that the mother Weasley was feeling.

Draco and his mother had been spared death in exchange for their agreement in testimony against their father and the others who had held them captive for so long. Ron looked up and met his former blonde enemy's eyes and saw the look of sympathy and understanding that passed between them. Both of them had lost someone they had loved, even if sometimes the people that they had lost had driven them mad. Ron swallowed hard trying to remember the relationship that he had had with his father and two dead brothers. He, Hermione and Harry had been gone for so long on their journeys that he hadn't seen or heard from his actual family in months. This was the first time that he had seen any of them since he had found them immediately after the battle's end. And all he could think of were the words, "I'm sorry." He was so sorry to them for not being there when they needed him but he was sorry also for not needing them all the same. He licked his now chapped lips and avoided his older brother's eyes as he looked away from the sight of his grieving mother and brother and over at Harry who was clutching his younger sister tightly in his arms. Harry was now seen as the savior of the wizarding world. He had conquered death and the violence that had surrounded their world for so long. He would forever be remembered as the one who had vanquished the darkness and brought hope and light back into their now grieving world. But where was that light? Because as Ron looked over at Harry who shakily stood with Ginny shivering against him, he couldn't find any light in the eyes of a broken boy who looked just as lost as Ron knew they all felt. What now? Where did they go from here? What happened next? These questions weren't going to be answered for some time. But Ron could only hope that one day, they would be for the sake of himself and everyone else that stood in the crowd of mourning witches and wizards. The sounds of other families grieving over their dead loved ones echoed across the glades of grass that lay just outside the castle walls and Ron's eyes held steady towards the sun that was slowly rising over the horizon and said a prayer that one day, life would be within them again.


	2. Chapter 2

The Epiphany Of The Elms Chapter 2

A/N: Hello all. So yes, I came up with yet another weird plotbunny that has been sitting in my head for a while now. So it decided it wanted to be written so here it is. This is a darker fanfic at first but it gets lighter as the chapters go on. The reason it's so dark to start out with is because the battle had just finished in the first chapter and now it's the days and weeks after that that are gonna make a huge difference in the story. You'll see as the plot goes on. Anywho, back to the story.-MoonlitShadow

It was around 9:00 a.m. when they arrived back at the Burrow. Ron was surprised that the ratty old tree house was still standing after everything that had happened in the past few months. As soon as they had all fallen practically face first in the swampy waters in the marsh around the countryside property, Molly had given a cry of relief when she had seen that the house was still standing and had remained untouched from any type of intruders. Ron supposed that it was because Voldemort and his followers had already been there once before and already had known that all of the Weasley's would be at the battle last night. He watched as George numbly helped their mother out of the swamps as she cried tears of mixed joy and sorrow. Their home was still standing. The family within its walls was not. Turning towards his friends, Ron reached out a hand and steadied Hermione right as she was about to fall deeper into the muddy water. "Thanks." She murmured quietly as he nodded in acknowledgement to her. He was surprised that she had found actual words to say. His own lips couldn't seem to find the strength to form ones of his own as he gently took hold of her arm and helped them both wade through the murky waters.

As soon as they were inside, Molly collapsed in a fit of tears on the floor of the living room when she saw that Percy, Fred and Arthur had been removed from the family's large grandfather clock. All that remained was Ginny, Ron, Charlie, Bill and Molly making everyone take a moment of silence for the fallen Weasley's. Ginny sniffled and wiped furiously at her eyes before turning and dashing up the stairs to her room. A few minutes later the sound of a door slamming was heard as Ron and Hermione watched Harry carefully climb the stairs to go comfort his distraught girlfriend. Molly and George clung to each other as Bill and Charlie stood eerily still as they stared up at the clock where their father and two brothers had once been. Ron dropped Hermione's hand and wiped the sweat off his palms onto the fabric of his jeans as Hermione shifted her weight awkwardly from one foot to the other. The house was quiet except for the sounds of Molly and George as they wept for their lost loved ones. Ron didn't have a clue at where to go from here, so he chose the most obvious answer that he could think of. His room. He turned and met Hermione's eyes as he nodded to the stairs. She gave him a small smile and nodded in agreement. It was funny how after all these years she still could understand him even if he never uttered a word.

As they quickly made their way up the stairs, they could hear the sounds of Harry talking to a wailing Ginny in the next room and the eerily quiet sound of Fred and George's room as the door swayed lightly in an early morning breeze. Ron peeked into the room and noticed that they had left the window open the last time they were in it and shook his head at the sight of Fred's empty bed where the covers were still pulled back in a messy disarray. In all the time since the battle had ended, he found that he didn't have it in him to cry. It was sad really that he couldn't. He knew he should. Just like the rest of his family. But he couldn't. If it was one thing his father had taught him, it was that he had to be the man of the house and take care of those left behind. Nodding to himself at that thought, he slowly opened the door to his room and stepped inside. His bed and all his things had remained in place since the last time he was here. He was surprised that none of their things had been touched or destroyed by the death eaters when they had raided the Burrow.

Walking over to his bed, he took a seat and almost jumped at the sound of the door closing behind him. It was then that he realized that Hermione was still with him and had followed him into the tiny room where they were alone for the first time that he could remember. Harry or someone had always been with them in one way or another. Ron couldn't remember if he had ever been alone in a room with Hermione. But at this moment he was sure he never had. He wasn't all that surprised when she quickly made her way over to him and collapsed into his arms. He held her tightly in his arms as he lay back against the covers of his bed and tried his best to tune out her quiet sobs. It was the only sound that Ron could hear. The sobs of those he loved. And the silence of those who were forever gone. He and Hermione lay on his bed for hours as she continued to sob and he continued to pretend he couldn't hear her. His thoughts were loud enough and his mind was screaming at him to do something. Anything. That was when he did it. "How about a shower, Mione?" He rasped out as Hermione stilled for just a moment before weakly lifting her head off of his shoulder. "Shower?" She asked as her puffy red eyes assessed his own blue ones. "Yeah. A shower." He said simply as her brows furrowed and she stared at him for a moment. "With you?" She asked quietly as he shook his head for a moment before finally nodding it. It was now or never. He had loved the girl since the moment he laid eyes on her. It was about time he started showing it. "Yeah. With me." He answered as she continued to stare at him for a few more minutes before finally nodding and giving him a shaky smile. "Okay." She said simply as he nodded and slowly lifted them up into a sitting position before taking her hands in his own and helping her off the bed. They stood there in complete silence for a few awkward seconds as they looked at each other unsure of how to proceed. Neither of them had shown affection towards one another. And certainly had never done what they were about to do. "I'll go run the water then." Ron said shakily as Hermione nodded and stepped aside so he could make his way into the connecting bathroom.

His hands shakily fumbled with the knobs on the shower before he managed to successfully start the warm water. The rusty shower groaned and creaked for a moment before it sputtered out the freezing cold water. "Welcome home then…" He muttered to himself as he reached his hands down to grasp the edges of his sweater and pulled it up and over his head before discarding it on the floor. His breath became heavy pants as he looked at himself in the mirror and down at the button of his jeans. He was finally going to do it. He was finally going to show Hermione just how much he loved her. He glanced nervously behind him at the bathroom door where the love of his life was waiting for him in the room behind it. He licked his cracked lips and nodded to himself in the mirror before he turned and opened the door to the bathroom slowly. His breath caught in his throat as Hermione approached him slowly, a bit unsure of herself as she fingered the white lace bra that covered her breasts. She wore matching lace panties that made his eyes widen in shock before a bright red flush found it's way to his cheeks. "Hermione…" He rasped out as his voice became gravelly with want and need. "Ron…" She gasped as her eyes fell to his chiseled chest and his lean stomach before settling on the edge of his pants that showed the slight v line leading down into his nether regions.

He shuffled his way towards her as he became slightly more confident with each step. This was her. This was Hermione. And she was his. He stopped right in front of her, almost afraid to touch her like she was an angel sent from heaven in these desperate times. His hand shakily rose to her face and cupped her cheek in his palm as he fingered her long brown hair that was caked with dirt and mud. "How about that shower then?" He asked slowly and deeply, letting his tongue caress over every word. "Take me…" She whispered as he watched her eyes almost glaze over with a look of pure adoration. The words fell from her pink luscious lips making his breath catch once again in his throat. He thought about a response to her pleas but settled for action instead. He quickly reached up and pulled her hair free of it's ponytail as she let out a gasp of surprise before closing her eyes and letting her lips fall open slightly. He waited until her eyes were open again before he stepped even closer and placed his fingers along the curve of her breasts and ran his fingers gentle over the lacey details that covered them.

"Ron…Take me…" She moaned out as her breathing quickened and she pressed her breasts against his open palms. Ron licked his lips again and felt his already hard cock straining even harder against the fabric of his jeans making him let out a wince of discomfort. Deciding that enough was enough, he shakily reached around to her back where the clasp of her bra lay against her bare skin, and he tried and failed once, twice, three different times before he shook it loose. The sound of his loves chuckles reverberated not only in his ears, but in his soul as he gently slid the lacey bra off of her slim figure and stepped back to take in the sight of her glorious naked body. "Hermione…" He gasped as he took in the sight of her perky, full breasts and her nipples that were hard and erect with want and need. Hermione's lips upturned into a slight smile as she crossed her arms over her chest and quirked an eyebrow at him. "Well are you going to take me or not?" She whispered in a sultry tone making his cock stand at attention even more. He let out a guttural growl and stalked towards her before lifting her up and hooking her legs around his waist before backing them both into the now steamy bathroom.

"Ungh…" Hermione groaned as his hands cupped her round bottom and tugged at the fabric of her panties. "Get them off me." She moaned as he balanced her against the wall and reached down to cup her wet mound through the lacey barrier. "My pleasure…" He whispered as practically tore the thin material from her body and slipped a long, slender finger deep into her wet and narrow channel. A satisfied smile rose onto his lips as he listened to her moans and felt her channel pulse hard with want for him. "More..Ron..Please…" She moaned as he watched her become a sticky, sweaty wet mess all for him. "My pleasure…" He replied again before he drew his fingers out despite her protest and placed her feet on the ground for a moment before pointing to the shower and giving her naked behind a slight slap. "In the shower. Now." He murmured as her eyes grew wide for a moment before she nodded and hurried behind the shower curtain. Ron slipped his pants off of his own slim frame and let them drop to the floor as his boxers followed suit. This was it. He was about to become the man that he always knew he could be. He was about to make Hermione his in every way possible. A smile graced his lips before he turned and marched into the shower after her. There in all her naked glory, she was waiting for him with her hair wet and hanging down to her waist as her perky breasts and soaking mound shone with droplets of warm water. "Come here." He called to her as she nodded and bit her lip making him let out a groan of want at the sight. Carefully he lifted her off her feet and placed her back against the tiles of the shower wall making her shiver slightly at the cool sensation. Wrapping his arms around her he placed his hands on either sides of her hips and raised her slightly so her entrance was lined up with his cock and gave her one last look before she nodded and he took her for his own.

Hermione let out a cry of pain for a moment as he deflowered her thoroughly but soon the cry of pain became one of pure pleasure as she rocked her hips against his own under the cascading hot waterfall. They rocked in a tantalizing rhythm for what seemed like hours but could've only been a few moments before Ron's cock twitched and unleashed his seed inside of her before she followed quickly after him. As soon as they had finished they both collapsed to the floor of the shower and Ron took her into his arms once again. "I love you…" She whispered against his naked shoulder as he nodded and repeated the words back to her. Then, both cried. Cried together for all they had lost, and all they had gained that day. The day that they had become one. As sorrow poured from the Weasley house, a small spark of hope began to form as two souls became forever intertwined.


	3. Chapter 3

The Epiphany of the Elms Chapter 3

A/N: Steamy chapter last chapter, yeah? I'm loving the sizzling chemistry going on between Ron and Hermione. It's definitely a perfect match with those two. Now to get back to the story!-MoonlitShadow

 **7:00 p.m. The Burrow**

It had been almost 10 hours since Ron had taken both Hermione and his virginities. Not long after they had exited the shower after making love for the very first time, Ron was none too surprised that they both went their separate ways for a few hours to each collect their own thoughts about all that occurred. If it was anything that Ron knew about Hermione, it was that she often needed time to process new and overwhelming information including thoughts and feelings. So he waited for her to come around and watched her through his bedroom window as she walked aimlessly around his mother's flower garden surrounding the small house wondering what she was thinking about. It hadn't even been a full 24 hours since the war ended and he couldn't help but wonder if they had done the right thing.

Making love directly after fighting for their lives made no sense and every bit of sense to Ron, he thought. It was comfort and action all at once which was what they needed. Or did they? He wasn't really sure now as he looked closer and spotted trails of glistening tears roll down his now lover and best friend's cheeks as she circled back around the house. He let out a huff of frustration trying and failing to figure out what to do next. What was there to do next? He had given all his love to the girl he had loved since they had met in first year. He had fought a war and lost so many loved ones in the course of only a few hours. What did he have left? The remains of a broken family and a now seemingly broken young witch who held tight to his heart? He had no clue what he was supposed to do or where he was supposed to go from here. Looking up at the sunset that washed over the darkened sky, he hoped and prayed that some type of answer would come to him eventually.

Giving another heavy sigh, he shook his head and moved away from the window knowing that his mother would be too wracked with grief to do anything about dinner or the household daily chores that needed to be done. Making his way out of his room and down the hall towards the stairs, he shoved his hands into his jean pockets and stopped outside Ginny's door wondering if she and Harry had made it out alive as well. Silence was all he heard and he wondered if any of the other members of the new Weasley clan had made it out of their rooms other than Hermione and him. He gave another shrug that no one was around to see and headed downstairs to see what he could do about dinner for them all. His mother and George were nowhere to be found and neither was Bill or Charlie who he knew must've left as soon as they got the latter two settled in for the night. He wondered as a fleeting thought where everyone had gone off to, but couldn't find it really in himself to care at the moment. His stomach was rumbling hard against his insides making him feel sick with nausea if he didn't find something to eat soon.

He made his way into the tiny kitchen and stood back for a moment and stared when he realized nothing had been touched. Nothing had changed since the last time they had been here and had made dinner as a family. He shook his head again ridding himself of that thought. What family was left now? Were they even still considered a family at this point? He hadn't a clue. Stalking over to the fridge, he opened it and sighed when he saw that there was virtually nothing edible left in it. "Figures…" He groaned as he leaned back against the kitchen counter and crossed his arms over his chest in frustration. "Looks like we're on our own tonight." A familiar voice said from the entrance to the living room nearly making him jump out of his own skin. "Oh, Mione you scared me." He exclaimed as he tried and failed to draw in a deep enough breath to calm himself. She shook her head of now damp curls and gave him a sad half smile. "Still a bit jumpy, are we?" She said as she gave him a look of understanding. They all were. Bloody hell, the war had barely just ended. They all had a right to be a tad careful around one another.

"There's nothing in the fridge." He stated as if it was the most important thing at the time to say. Hermione shrugged in indifference and leaned up against the counters opposite him and mirrored his image with her arms crossed. "I'm not all that hungry myself right now." She said simply as he nodded in acknowledgement to her. Well he was. Guess it didn't bloody matter at the moment. Oh well. He thought to himself as he surveyed the room and tried to look anywhere but at the girl he had taken as his own merely hours before. "Well if we're going for awkward conversations now, we might as well acknowledge that we're both embarrassed about what we did." She said in a matter of fact tone making him stop surveying the room and stare directly at her with a look of disdain. "I'm not embarrassed, Mione. I rather enjoyed what we did." He mumbled quietly so only they could hear. Hermione shook her head and placed her hands down onto the counter behind her leaning against it in an awkward stance. "Well I don't know if I can say the same to tell you the truth." She admitted quietly, almost as a whisper making his heart practically cease to beat in his chest. "What?" He said as he looked at her with a rather hurt and solemn expression. "I don't know if that was the right choice at the moment…" She continued as she fidgeted in his unwavering gaze. Ron couldn't believe what he was hearing. He lost his family and now he was practically losing the girl he loved as well. Damn it all to hell. He thought as he quickly turned and stalked out of the kitchen leaving a stunned Hermione in his angry wake. "Bloody hell…" He cursed to himself as he pushed open the front door of the Burrow and made his way out into the pitch black night.

He stalked off to the edge of the property and disappeared into the dark even though he could hear Hermione calling out to him from the doorway of the house. He couldn't stand to be near her now. Not after what he had heard her say. Not the right choice? What did she mean by that? He knew that what they did was probably poorly timed but not the right choice? He knew it was the right choice. She was the one. He had always known that. But did she know it was now the question? Once again, he hadn't a clue. The darkness seemed to swallow him whole as he laid himself out among the tall grass and gazed up at the sky full of brightly lit stars. "What did I do?" He asked the sky quietly. The sky only replied in the form of the wind whistling through the grass around him making him shiver slightly from the cold. It was mid-April yet the air still held a bit of a chill in it. Almost as if the land of Britain itself was mourning the cold loss of the ones it loved so dearly. "Where do I go from here?" He asked the stars as his eyes filled with tears. This time, there was no wind, nothing as an answer. Only silence was around him and there was nothing but the vast space of the galaxies above him to guide him in his state of misery. "Why?" He asked finally before the darkness of sleep overtook him once again.


End file.
